1. Field
The present invention relates to aircraft components. More particularly, the invention relates to brackets for supporting environmental control system (ECS) ducts and other components to the frames or other structural members of aircraft fuselages.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern aircraft have a variety of components such as ECS ducts, wiring, and insulation supported to their fuselage frames. These components are typically supported with specially configured brackets made of aluminum or other metals. Installing these brackets can be time consuming and costly because different portions of an aircraft require different brackets, thus necessitating the use of a multitude of different bracket types. Another problem with conventional brackets is that they cannot support ECS ducts and other components at odd angles, thus necessitating the use of additional brackets or other type fasteners in many applications.
Recently, aircraft manufacturers have begun to form fuselages and other components out of composite materials rather than aluminum to reduce aircraft weight. The use of composite materials to form aircraft fuselages presents additional problems with conventional aluminum and other metal brackets, because metal brackets tends to corrode when exposed to some composite materials. Metal brackets also add undesirable and unnecessary weight to an aircraft.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved bracket that overcomes the limitations described above.